Bernie Masters is a geologist/zoologist who spent 8 years as a member of the Western Australian Parliament. Married to Carolina since 1976 and living in south west WA, Bernie is involved in many community groups. This blog offers insights into politics, the environment and other issues that annoy or interest him. For something completely different, visit www.fiatechnology.com.au for information about vegetated floating islands - the natural way to improve water quality.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

ONLY 'ROGUE' SHARKS SHOULD BE CULLED

MEDIA RELEASE - BUSSELTON NATURALISTS CLUB

ONLY 'ROGUE' SHARKS SHOULD BE CULLED

The state government's response to the latest shark attack tragedy
should not involve a general cull of Great White Sharks.

Instead, only 'rogue' sharks that have lost their fear of humans and
interact with people and their boats should be culled.

The Busselton Naturalists Club held a lengthy debate among members
after local Busselton man Peter Kurmann was killed by a shark in
March.

The Club agreed that there was no justification for a general cull
of Great White Sharks as this could result in the death of sharks
that had never been involved in past attacks.

Instead, individual sharks that have a prior history of interaction
with humans, such as visiting boats, biting on their propellers or
threatening divers, should be culled.

The Club also called on the state government to do more than just
adopt a knee-jerk culling policy.

According to Club president Bernie Masters, who was a fisheries
inspector in the 1970s, the government needs to adopt a detailed and
comprehensive policy that goes beyond just culling.

"The Club supports the government's current program of tagging
sharks to obtain a better understanding of Great White behaviour,"
Mr Masters said.

"In addition, the research program should include developing methods
to allow identification of individual sharks using visual methods,
so that fishers and divers can attempt to identify problem sharks by
methods other than electronic tags," he said.

"In particular, the government should make it illegal to feed sharks
or otherwise encourage them to be attracted to boats, as this will
encourage them to interact with humans and lose their fear of
people."

"Ultimately, of course, if a particular shark is shown to have
attacked a human being, then culling is an unfortunate but necessary
action."

"But a general cull of large Great White Sharks is not
scientifically justified and the state government needs to do more
than it's current level of research and investigation."